


Managing the Days

by JamieBenn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Artsy Remus, M/M, Sexual Assault, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:15:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21582106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieBenn/pseuds/JamieBenn
Summary: Remus is having trouble with his boss in the accounting firm. Sirius has just started as the floor's HR representative. Will Sirius be able to help Remus out of the troublesome mess he has found himself in?
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Original Male Character(s), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31
Collections: RS Small Gifts 2019





	Managing the Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EverybodyWantsToRuleTheWorld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverybodyWantsToRuleTheWorld/gifts).



> This is written for Small Gifts on dreamwidth! It is possible that this will have a continuation some time in the future, but I am not sure how I'll go with absolute fluff so its a definite maybe.

PART ONE: REMUS

Remus looked down at his computer keyboard with animosity - after all, he had spent more time with the laptop in the past year than he had with any other human. He felt particular hatred towards the space key, as he imagined he had hit the key more times than any other on the keyboard. It wouldn’t have taken a year, he knew, if he had not had to work at his crappy job in the mean-time. His double degree in finance and English had gotten him no further than a junior accounting position at a very large company. His dream, however, had always been to release his own works of art in the form of literature.

His last manuscript had been rejected by so many publishing companies that he couldn’t even count. They all said that the story was ‘too unrealistic,’ and that it wasn’t good enough for their network of printers. Remus had spent many nights crying over that particular book — The Adventures of a Dark Creature. It wasn’t as though it was short, as he had spent nearly eight months writing those 100,000 words. As glorious as he had thought them to be…

He typed the last sentence of the paragraph with stiff fingers, as he looked at it with heavy lidded eyes. The time on the clock in the corner of the screen read 1:00 AM, which signified that he definitely needed to stop for the night. However, the little bit of a run that he was on meant that he didn’t want to stop. After all, his character had just entered this particular scene where the tall, dark, hooded figure had just excited the forest with a gun pointed at the main character. How was he supposed to stop writing now? Remus sighed, as he continued typing, letting his protagonist face the suspicious figure.

Remus entered his workplace with a paper coffee cup in hand, the warmth of it embracing his palm in the depth of winter. He was a little late, but his workplace was generally rather flexible when it came to start and finish times, as long as you were working your solid thirty-eight hours a week. He was ever so tired, but went to work despite the four hours of sleep he had under his belt. The spreadsheet of figures that he brought up to assess the situation with one of his projects looked like rubbish to him, but he had to make it look like he was doing some semblance of work. He clicked between the sheets on the spreadsheet, sighing, as he didn’t know where to begin. What he would give to just be able to open up his word processor and get to work on his current novel. After all, in the next chapter, his character was supposed to begin their discourse with their family, which would finally give his protagonist the little bit of background needed to understand his motivations.

Since he had started at ten o’clock in the morning, instead of the usual eight or nine o’clock start, Remus knew that he would have to work a bit after most people would have headed home. Plus, it was a Friday, which meant a lot of the people on his floor would be leaving early to go to staff drinks. The floor was very empty and quiet - they weren’t one of those offices that had music playing quietly in a corner - if you wanted music you had to sit and wear headphones like a good little worker. He was the last one left in the cubicles, with nothing to keep him company except the image of a pile of puppies that his predecessor had left pinned to the cubicle wall. The clock ticked away on the wall and his computer screen, and he noticed that the analogue clock was perhaps about twenty-three seconds behind, the little red pointer lagging.

As he was quickly knocking out his last email of the day to a stakeholder in Belfast, he heard the door of an office open, out of sight. It wasn’t long before a tall man in a grey coat walked towards his cubicle, short hair cropped in a rather short, business like hairstyle. He recognised the man’s tanned face as his boss, and looked to explain the reason he was still at work—

Except, Remus didn’t have a chance, because as soon as Walter Grimble had turned the corner into Remus’ cubicle, his hands were reaching towards Remus’ shoulders, grasping them with long, bony fingers. “Remus— did you really wait here, just for me?”

“Walter— no, I—” Remus shook is head to signify is disagreement with the question, “I got into work late this morning, didn’t get much sleep last night, you know.”

“Oh sure, Remus. I definitely believe you.” The man spoke with thick nicotine-filled breath onto Remus’ face, only an inch away.

He spun Remus’ chair around, and grasped his shoulder’s from the front this time, squeezing with his bony hands.

“You’re so beautiful, Remus. Do you want me?” Walter grinned, his teeth were perfect, seemingly unaffected by the heavy amounts of cigarettes smoked by the man each day. Likely, he could just afford good teeth whitening.

“No, Walter. Please. I’m good.” Remus tried to spin himself back around, but Walter’s grasp on his shoulders was tight.

“Maybe you’ll be a little nicer to me tomorrow, boy.” Walter pouted but relinquished his grip on the younger man, before skulking away, not unlike a dog with its tail between its legs.

Remus had worked at the large accounting firm for little over three years, as it was the job that he had gotten right out of university. He was not the youngest person in the office, but he was very not near the oldest. He was counting down the days until he could finally get the hell out of the joint.

The nest day, Remus found himself at work again, however this time he was there at exactly 8:30 AM, the time that was usual for the office. He was about the seventh one there on the floor, he realised, as he saw a few ladies huddling around the coffee machine after he exited the lift, and waved to a few men who were sitting in one corner of cubicles.

Remus sat down in his usual cubicle, relieved that there was no sign of Grimble yet. Of course, there was still a weekly department meeting, that he was not looking forward to. He almost immediately opened up his email account, knowing that they were usually where any overnight correspondence would end up, only to find a rather surprising email.

Mr. Lupin,

I am the new floor 8 Human Resources representative. Unfortunately, I have had a worrying report from one of your co-workers.

I have booked meeting room 8.05 at 3:00 PM today so I can discuss my concerns with you. I wish we could have our first meeting under different circumstances.

Thank you,

Sirius Black

Human Resources, Level 8 Representative

Level 9,

78 Johann Street,

St James’s, London SW1Y 4PD

United Kingdom

Remus was most definitely astounded by the message. Someone had complained to human resources about him. Christ, he hardly ever spoke to anyone! He liked to give everyone a little bit of a friendly wave in the morning as he arrived, and another in the evening as he left for home. Never had he thought that he would have a complaint against him! Remus clenched his fist in a tight ball, thinking of what on earth he was going to have to say to convince this Sirius bloke that he was nothing but good. Depending on what the reported offence is, he could be looking at immediate termination! Remus needed the money that he was getting from this job so badly! Now, he had no clue how he was supposed to do any work until three o’clock because he would be sure to be despairing over the meeting the whole time!

He was utterly relieved when he received the email from Grimble asking him to attend an off-site meeting at around midday. He didn’t even care if it meant using his own car and money this time, because it gave him some time alone, driving, to think about his future at the firm. The meeting place was approximately an hour away in Luton at a rather large company whose assets were very important to Remus’ employer. Remus had dealt with the company before, so he had some inkling about the business, particularly that the higher ups at the firm might actually have some of their money invested in the company. It was all perfectly legal of course, but made Remus think about the possible repercussions that could come with making any mistakes on the account.

The drive was a nice one, despite the constant traffic throughout London. He felt as though he was stuck behind a bus for three hours, even though it was only around ten minutes before the great big red vehicle pulled into a stop out of traffic. It was little odd to be able to see this much daylight in the middle of winter, but he definitely loved to soak it in. Unfortunately, throughout most of winter, he found himself arriving into work when it was still quite dark, and then leaving after the sun had already set. It didn’t make for a very exciting day.

The drive, however, left him thinking. Imagining what this Sirius Black person could look like, and what disasters they may throw in his face. He imagined someone greasy, but put together. Someone leering and tormenting. He imagined them asking questions like “how long have you been a sexual predator?” but with a grin on their face. Remus tried to shake it out of his head, but turning the radio up only did so much. He even heard an advertisement for his own company’s services on the station he was listening to, and shuddered before turning the knob on the system to zero. It just wasn’t a great day for him.

PART TWO:SIRIUS

Remus had come up with so many different images of this new human resources representative throughout his drive. They varied from someone very kind that would take one look at Remus before falling for his ‘charm’ and letting him off with a grin. The second was someone that fought against everything that Remus tried to tell him, a face filled with a grimace throughout their whole meeting. Someone who grasped Remus’ hand with disgust when they went to greet each other.

Fortunately, the real Sirius Black was not anything that Remus’ wild imagination could come up with.

The man greeted him with a smile as he entered meeting room 8.05. It was not the largest meeting room on the floor, but it was sufficient for the two of them to sit without being close enough to touch. The man across from Remus was definitely a sight for tired eyes. He had long black hair that just brushed his shoulders. It was messy, but in a professional manner. Remus didn’t doubt that the man probably kept a hair tie on his wrist or in his pocket for moments where he needed to get the hair out of his face. His face was chiseled in a manner that Remus did not want to admit was his type, and it seemed even the other man’s eye for fashion was on point. He wore a smart blue blazer with a purple and white striped shirt beneath it. Even his trousers looked like they were out of a magazine, the beige coloured chinos showing off the other man’s legs. Of course, Remus noticed this before the other man sat down. It wasn’t like he was staring at Sirius’ ankles under the table as he twiddled his thumbs in his lap. Never. It didn’t matter, though, because Remus’ own clothes paled in comparison. He never thought to wear anything but his plain black slacks and white shirt to the office. If he wore a blazer it was a simple black one that he had bought to wear for a group presentation back at university, or something like that.

Even the man’s voice screamed at Remus that this man was one of the most attractive that he had ever seen, as he welcomed him into the room.

“Remus, it is definitely nice to meet you, despite this report coming across my desk. I’ve had this job for just over a week now, but it wasn’t until two days ago that they assigned me to this floor. You might just have to bear with me as I get used to everyone’s names and what they do. Okay?”

“Sure. Nice to meet you too, I guess. Despite the circumstances.” Remus returned Sirius’ smile, unsure where the meeting was really headed.

“Now, your boss, Mr. Grimble?” Sirius read the paperwork in front of him carefully, “has notified me of an event in which he claims that you assaulted him.”

Remus’ eyebrows rose inexplicably.

“You seem surprised by this, Remus.”

“Yes, Sirius. I—” Remus shook his head, “If anything, he assaulted me!”

Sirius nodded, looking up at Remus and then back down at the paperwork. “Remus, I know this might feel like the time to throw accusations at someone. However, you do understand that Mr. Grimble is your boss and you shouldn’t be flirting with him in the work place? I know you’re quite young, but…”

“Sirius, I’m assuming that you’re around my age? Just because you’re young, would you treat your boss with such disrespect? No, I know the rules around co-worker relations at this firm and I would never even flirt with someone. Besides, I don’t get into many conversations with people at work.”

“If you do have any complaints to make, I’m ensuring I email out a fresh starter pack from the HR department that I have helped put together. It includes description of what is required from a complaint. Your boss has not come forward with sufficient information regarding the situation between the two of you, however I suggest that you approach him with both an apology and perhaps an explanation that you didn’t mean for whatever you said to come across that way. Unfortunately if something along these lines happens again, this will have to be investigated further, and in some cases can be cause for dismissal.”

Remus had to try hard to stop himself from crying. He could not image what he would do if he had to stop working at the firm, no matter how crappy the job was. He was going to have to go to Grimble and find out exactly what the situation was, and why the man complained. Remus grimaced at the thought, but nodded in Sirius’ direction.

“I guess we will be seeing each other more in the future. Hopefully for something good next time. I hear the Christmas party is being organised, so perhaps I’ll see you there?”

“I hope so, Remus.”

Both men stood up, and Remus didn’t even look towards Sirius’ pants this time. Instead, it was the other man’s grin that struck Remus as he exited the door of the meeting room and ventured towards his desk.

“Oh, and Sirius? If you ever do need to come grab me for a quick chat, my cubicle is the one over by the window, I have a lovely picture of a group of dogs that was left over from the last person who worked in there, if you’re into that.” Remus tried to smile, but fear he must have faltered as Sirius’ reply came with a furrow between his eyebrows.

“Thanks, Remus.”

Remus gained his composure as quickly as he could after the meeting with Sirius, knowing that he would have to find himself in a conversation with his horrible boss, Grimble, again. He remembered what happened last time, and definitely did not want that event to happen again. Knocking on the door of Grimble’s office had Remus’ heart thudding through his chest. When he woke up that morning he had not expected his job to rely on the events of that day all by themselves. A gravelly “come in” echoed from within the room, a voice that Remus wished he hadn’t heard almost every day of his accounting career.

“I need to talk to about something, Walter. Do you mind if I come in?” Remus gestured towards the spare chair in front of Walter’s desk, where he expected to sit throughout this conversation.

“I know exactly what this is about, Remus. Lock the door behind you. We don’t want anyone snooping.”

“I’m not sure that is appropriate, Walter?” Remus asked, heading towards the chair without turning the lock.

“No, Remus. Do what I say. Lock the door.” Despite sitting in a chair, Grimble still managed to look down at Remus in that way that people do when they think that they’re better than everyone else.

Stepping back to flick the lock, Remus put his shoulders into a slump. He knew that no matter what was said in this room today, that he wouldn’t like it.

“I hear that human resources haven’t fired you yet, which is quite interesting given the complaint that I placed about you. Little Remus, flirting with his boss? How could he?” Grimble laughed with his head tilted back in glee at what he thought was a wonderful plan.

“You know I didn’t do that, Walter. Why would you say something like that about me?” Remus questioned, trying to gain eye contact with his boss.

The window behind Walter showed much of the London skyline - Remus thought he even glimpsed the London eye from behind Grimble’s head when he moved a little to the right. It didn’t help the conversation, however, as Walter’s words dripped with absolute venom.

“If you don’t want me to put in another complaint, Remus, you will be mine.” He pointed at Remus before letting his finger drop down Remus’ body and back up. “All of you.”

“Mr. Grimble, no! I don’t think— I don’t think we should do that.” Remus’ eyes were filled with terror as what his boss said truly sunk in.

Remus ran out of the room, fumbling with the latch before running as quickly to the bathroom as he could. He could feel the vomit rising up from his stomach, and urged himself to reach the toilet in time.

But he didn’t.

Instead of a toilet, Remus found himself face to face with Sirius Black, from Human Resources. He couldn’t help it, as he leant forwards and a stream come rushing out from his mouth. Remus made a small shocked noise, not yet able to speak, as he stood before a vomit-covered Sirius Black, who hadn’t even been able to step out of the way.

“Remus! Are you okay?” Sirius asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at the other man.

“I—” Remus muttered, “I’m sorry, Sirius.” He shook his head, and pulled his hands up to his eyes. “I shouldn’t have- I tried to make it to the toilet.” A tear dripped down his right cheek, “It’s okay if you get me fired.”

Sirius’ eyes widened, “why—”

Remus seemed to laugh, tears still filling the corner of his eyes, “It’s not like I want to work here, any more.”

Sirius would have wrapped his arms around the other man in that moment if he wasn’t absolutely covered in that man’s vomit. Instead, he looked at the man, and told him, “look, if you like, I will quickly get changed. Perhaps stay in the bathroom until I’m done so I can get you a sick bag before I take you home in my car. Sound good, Remus?”

Remus nodded slowly. He did not want to drive like this, and Sirius seemed welcoming enough.


End file.
